INTERREG VA Two Seas Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2014-2020

The INTERREG Two Seas Cross-Border Cooperation Programme is provided through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It enables cooperation between regional and local authorities and other organisations from areas in four Member States: England, France, the Netherlands and Flanders.

Cross-border cooperation is one of the instruments for the implementation of the EU’s cohesion policy. The intention is to secure harmonious development across the EU by strengthening its economic, social and territorial cohesion to stimulate growth in the EU regions. The primary aim is to reduce existing disparities between territories in terms of their economic and social development, and environmental sustainability, whilst taking into account their specific territorial features and opportunities.

For the 2014-2020 period, the following four thematic objectives have been selected:

Strengthening research, technological development and innovation.

Supporting the shift towards a low-carbon economy in all sectors.

Promoting climate change adaptation, risk prevention and management.

Protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency.

In addition, the competitiveness of SMEs will be addressed as a cross-cutting issue under each priority axis, by considering SMEs and their representatives as key target groups for any selected investment priority. Similarly, opportunities for maritime sectors and ‘blue growth’ will be delivered under all the selected Thematic Objectives.

The overall objective of the programme is to ‘develop the competitiveness and sustainable growth potential of the programme area’s maritime and non maritime assets by stimulating cross-border partnerships able to deliver tangible results on the ground by 2020’.